Feeling Down
by papapapuffyAY
Summary: Subaru is upset and it bothers Ram a lot more than him in a good mood.


Disclaimer: not mine

Summary: Subaru is upset and it bothers Ram a lot more than him in a good mood.

**Feeling Down**

Subaru was acting a little off today. Other than the fact he didn't really try to make any sort of communication it didn't show when he worked. The boy was overly talkative to the point of being completely and utterly annoying. The hornless girl was generally able to just tune him out and appear like she paying a bit of attention. But not today. There was no casual conversation, no stories of his home, no random repartee of things she couldn't possible understand.

It was a blessing at first, she valued the tranquility. However now... it was just a bit unsettling. Every couple of minutes Ram would lift her head from her own work and look to see if he was still even in the room. Subaru was in the room in his own little corner cleaning something. The butler didn't look upset or stressed about anything. His body language showed no signs of pain or being unwell. But why wasn't he trying to chat with her? The oni might as well be working alone.

"Barusu, why don't you go find Rem and help her. She'll be delighted and Ram can easily finish the bath on her own. It's almost finished anyway." He turned and looked genuinely surprised at her suggestion. This was the first time she didn't dump more work on him. Was this somehow a trick? Some reverse psychology?

"Are you sure?" The demi human nodded and turned back to her work. She moved the mop against the bath's bottom. Seconds later she heard him leave with a gentle click of the door. Now, she was certain no one was in the room.

The older woman refilled the tub and turned to her next task. With a rag in her hand a spray bottle in the other she started with cleaning the windows. From this hallway she could see her sibling hanging the laundry outside wearing a smile. Rem wore a warm smile that even made a small smile appear on her own face. Moments later the black haired boy walked into her sight. They exchanged a few sentences and he disappeared out of view.

Well, that was unexpected. Normally Subaru would love to be in Rem's company. The older sister moved on to cleaning the next window when the butler reentered her vision with gardening sheers. He started giving the bushes attention while staying silent. Her pink eyes scanned the both of them. Her sister didn't seem to be put off but their lack of discussion. She was basking in their peace just happy to be near him.

Later in the evening they regrouped to make dinner. The kitchen was quiet. The only noises were the boiling of the soup and chopping of the veggies. "Barusu, please start setting the table." The hornless girl politely ordered setting plates and bowls on the cart he was to take.

"Sure." He pushed the cart towards the dining area.

Once he was gone the head maid turned to her sister. "This is unpleasant and annoying. What's wrong with him?" Rem looked momentary surprised at Ram's open show of concern. The younger sibling then smiled rather somberly.

"As expected of sister, you're able to pick up on Subaru's melancholy." Ram didn't reply putting more dinner plates on another cart. "Unfortunately, Subaru hasn't told me what he's truly feeling and insisted that he is fine and will be back to normal soon. Rem will simply trust that Subaru will come to me if he needs help and support." The peach haired girl grimaced and pushed the second cart towards the dining room with Rem following with a third.

The table was set with the five course meal before everyone was summoned. Roswaal was the last one to filter in entering with a boisterous greeting to all. Each servant stood by someone's side to lift the cover of their plates. Subaru stood off to Emilia's side unless she needed something. Ram stood off to Roswaal's right side. Once Rem was done attending to Beatrice she returned to the clown's other side.

The silver haired woman noticed the cursed boy was being unusually quiet. "How was your day, Subaru?"

"Just fine. How was your lesson?"

"Wonderful." Then the exchange died. The half elf's eyebrows knitted together. Roswaal took a gander at him with curious eyes but returned to his food. Beatrice on the other hand didn't pay any attention to the others except for Puck. The rest of the meal was quiet but not too uncomfortable.

Once their dinner was done it was the servants turn to eat. It was also silent except for the complement Subaru always gives Rem about her cooking. The younger demi human giggled and wiggled gleefully in her seat with a slight blush to her face. They finished supper and the butler placed their dishes on the cart. "I'll do the dishes if you two wish to retire for the night."

"Thanks, Barusu." The blue eyed girl opened her mouth to object but felt her sister entwine their fingers. Her mouth closed feeling the gentle tug on her hand. Her body automatically followed the tug and the peach haired girl led them out.

"He'll feel better in the morning right, sister?" Ram huffed and glimpsed back to the dining room from the corner of her eye.

As it turns out he wasn't better the next day. He acted the same; crestfallen and close-mouthed. The tall boy was the first to retire for the night. Rem scrubbed at the dirty dishes while Ram dried and put away. Besides from the soft clanking of porcelain the kitchen was quiet between them. There really wasn't a need to speak to each other. They worked well in silence the twins didn't need any type of verbal communication. The older woman spoke up suddenly. "What trouble Barusu is being. I guess I'll talk to him about it."

Rem halted in her movements momentarily stunned. A smile graced her lips. Without retorting the blue eyed girl dipped another plate into the soapy water and started cleaning it. Once everything was cleaned and the sink was drained. Rem dried her hands on a cloth and wished her sister a good night.

"I'll quickly patrol the area then I'll probably retire for the night." Normally both of them would double check the security of the mansion. Rem would make sure all doors and windows were locked while Ram would use clairvoyance to survey the surround area for anything unnatural.

Ram closed her eyes and focused. The first person she automatically linked with was her sister. They were always linked and Rem was the closest proximity living creature to her. Next would be any insect that would have accidentally wondered into the house. In which under normal circumstances would be found quickly and killed off by Rem. Her link didn't work with either of the great spirits. Pink eyes couldn't access anyone in Beatrice's room and Puck had returned to the crystal. Never once had she tried to link with the already sleeping elf.

Her scan would go broader searching through the eyes of all nocturnal creatures. It wasn't often that the mansion was ever attacked. Or at least it was never attacked when she didn't know it was coming. However, what caught her attention was a sight from Subaru's room. After the outside scan she refocused on his room.

The cursed boy was on the ground next to his bed with his knees to his chest. His face was completely covered by both of his hands. She couldn't get a good look of the expression he was wearing. The demi human couldn't tell if he was in pain or perhaps in tears. However his posture indicates that something was at least upsetting him. This was only mildly concerning, just ever so slightly alerting to Ram. Who with a sigh, made her way to his room with unsure steps.

"Are you in pain, Barusu?" The cursed boy lifted his head in shock at the unexpected voice. He didn't hear a knock, nor did he hear the door open. And even if he had heard the door opened he would have thought it to be Rem. But there Ram stood already passed the threshold of his personal quarters and staring at him with a blank expression. "Is a chronic illness acting up? Are you embarrassed about soiling yourself perhaps?"

"I'm fine. Also I didn't do that!" Her pink eyes narrowed observing what she couldn't see before. His amber eyes were just a bit on the red side. There was a spot on his upper cheek that glisten indicating at least a few tears had been there. The fact the wet trail didn't run down his face meant he had been whipping them away periodically.

"Do you really expect Ram to believe that?"

"No, but I figured that's the answer you would rather hear. When someone in retail asks a customer 'how's your day going?' they are only being polite they don't actually want to know."

The oni took a seat on the floor next to him ignoring the questioning expression on his face. "I honestly want to know." She spoke honestly but it came out very stoic. Maybe the fact she didn't look in his direction made it seem somewhat insincere as well.

"You won't be happy with that answer. Talking to me will just annoy you." He glanced at his knees before wrapping his arms around them and hunching over.

"I'm use to you annoying me. In fact I'm starting to build up an immunity to it, so spill. What has upset you so?"

The boy hesitated before speaking in a whispered tone. "I'm just a little homesick." The head maid blinked and processed her thoughts. Relief had rushed over her since she had prepared for the worse of news. Like an incoming attack on the mansion; something she didn't know about. However the seemingly simple solution to this problem wasn't as easy as it should be and even she knew it.

"Taking some time off and going home is out of the question, isn't it." She muttered knowing his circumstances were complicated. His head dropped even further down and Ram huffed. "I wish you wouldn't make me do things that don't fit my character. Very well I shall permit this once and only once. There really isn't a girl with more benevolence and tolerance than Ram."

She hooked a hand around his head and manipulated his body down. At first his body resisted the sudden movement trying to stay upright. She was much stronger than him and he ended up flopped over on his side. His head had comfortable fallen on to her soft thighs. "This is quite the development; I don't think my heart is ready for it. Ram, what are you doing?"

"I just figured this is what you would want right now." The prodigy smiled brightly. "Does Ram not radiate an aura of generosity for you who is so deeply distraught?" To prove her loving nature she ran her hand against his hair. After about half a minute of the repeated motion the demi human asked with a sickeningly sweet voice. "Are you starting to feel better?"

He gazed up at her with a deadpan stare. "What's your real reason for this?"

"I don't want your depression to affect your work ethic."

"Sorry, I thought I was doing a pretty good job of not letting it show in my work."

"I'm not complaining about how you were working. You're still faster at getting work done than me after all." But that really wasn't saying much...

"Hey, Ram?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever felt homesick before?"

"No."

"Figures." He quickly turned to avert his eyes feeling her scrutiny judging him poorly.

"You're misunderstanding Ram. I said no because I don't view the oni's village as my home. It was merely the place of our birth where my race dwelled. I did much more learning and growing with Rem in this mansion than in the village."

A few tears slipped out of his eyelids and onto her skirt since he didn't bother to wipe them away. "I miss my parents."

"I'm sure that's a normal feeling." Should she get him to talk about it? There really wasn't much she could say. The oni wasn't ever separated from her loved ones for long periods of time. So she really couldn't empathize with the boy.

The tall boy blinked picking up on the rare show of affectionate words towards him. "This compassionate aura aimed at me is only for tonight though, isn't it?"

"Yes, tomorrow Ram will act like Ram and this night will be buried to the back of my mind to never been thought of again. I don't need a rumor spreading around that I became soft or something."

"Well, that would probably be for the best then." Subaru sniffled and smiled and rolled back over to face her. "I might as well take full advantage of your kindness tonight." Wrapping his arms around her middle he nuzzled his face into her gut. It was comforting to the cursed teenager even if she didn't hug back.

The prodigy didn't react at the sudden hug. Her brain tried to figure out how to react but in the end not reacting was the best action. The head maid wasn't about to push him away from something he needed. In fact, the feeling of his arms around her waist felt somewhat normal. Why was that? Why did a very nostalgic brief memory of Rem resting her head on her lap flashed in her mind. She questioned why it reminded her of such a fond memory of her twin. His hugs didn't feel like Rem's at all. But she likes his hug- Nope. That wasn't a thought she planned on entertaining in her mind. "You're so needy; whatever should Ram do with you?" Whatever she would do the demi human promised to herself that she wouldn't leave him like this. "What are your parents like?" Maybe thinking about the happy memories will replace the sad ones in his heart.

"Dad is really sociable; he's able to befriend anyone. Mom is rather naive but loyal."

"So you really take after them a lot."

"Do I?"

"Apparently, you get your sociable and talkative trait from your father. While your naivety of the situation around you and your loyalty to us at the mansion and the villagers come from your mother. I imagine I wouldn't want to meet your parents."

"Yeah, that might be disastrous. My dad would make it a personal challenge trying to befriend someone like you."

"What makes him think he can be Ram's friend?"

"Probably it's the fact that all parents want to know their children's friends; especially those friends of the opposite sex."

"Is that so?"

"I didn't have friends back home."

"That's rather hard to believe."

"Well it's true. I couldn't talk to people and I didn't have any confidence. I wasn't a good person. I'm completely different here then from when I was back home." The older servant couldn't see what was written on his face. It was spoken with a bitter tone like he expected her to mock him. He sighed into her stomach when she didn't. "You know, I think I also did more growing and learning in this mansion too." The small oni nodded knowing he couldn't see her face either.

Their conversation came to a halt but it felt normal. It didn't feel somber just relaxing. At least his light breathing didn't disturb her idle peace. It didn't take long for him to simply pass out leaving Ram stuck on the ground. With a sigh she flexed her toes and waited for Rem to check up on him.

About twenty minutes later the younger sibling showed up for her nightly check. Carefully the younger twin was able to separate them. She tucked in her hero without disturbing his sleep too much. The hornless girl was finally able to move she extended her legs in a stretch with a small smile of freedom. She wiggled her feet and rubbed her calf muscles trying to get the blood moving into the limbs once more. Rem, once done tending to Subaru, helped her sister to her feet.

They left, with Ram taking one last glimpse at the boy once they reached the door. "Sweet dreams Barusu, don't let that abnormally large spider on your ceiling bite." She whispered to no one with a slightly wicked smirk on her face.

The second the door was shut the horned girl asked what was worrying the butler. "Did you find anything out?"

"He misses his parents." A mournful expression appeared on her twin's face. The older girl wondered if Rem briefly thought about their parents at this moment too. "Hey Rem, are there times where you feel homesick?"

The younger twin opened her mouth to reply but immediately closed it. She looked thoughtful for a few seconds. She was giving it careful consideration making sure to pick her words wisely. "No, my home is here with sister and Subaru after all." The prodigy nodded in understanding; that was more or less her feelings as well. Perhaps it was a stupid question to ask in the first place.

"Rem hopes that one day soon they can reunite." Her sweet little sibling clasped her hands to her chest and prayed.

Ram closed her eyes and nodded in silent agreement. "I'm sure he will. And at the very least, he'll feel better tomorrow."

"Maybe he'll eventually feel like this manor is his home."

"He already does. He'll be talkative once more, annoying all of us with his tall tales." She made an expression of faked annoyance making Rem laugh.

"Sister, your dishonest side is really cute, you know. Just admit that even though you believe him to be a liar. You still missed hearing stories from Subaru's homeland, didn't you?"

"That's a bit of a misconception. Ram doesn't think he's a liar; I think he's delusional." As hard as it was for her to believe him, Subaru never showed any signs of lying. The prodigy was observant she could pick up on subtle body movements that would indicate lying. There was no way Subaru would be able to control his body and not give it away. Even the most eccentric person in the house, there master, would look at Subaru with his head cocked to the side and a skeptical expression written on his face. Then Ram's feelings of disbelief shouldn't be too odd either. Rem was just way too trusting.

"Sweet dreams, sister." Ram blinked realizing that they had reached their rooms. Rem had bid her a goodnight and slipped into her personal quarters. The maid yawned and disappeared into her own room for the night.

* * *

As per routine the horned oni woke and ready Ram for the day. The peach haired girl wiped her face on a towel. "Did you wake Barusu already?"

"Yes."

"Did he seem better?"

"He woke up like normal, but it's still too early to really tell his mood." Rem brushed through her unruly bedhead, putting the finishing touches on. The hornless girl stood and brushed any wrinkles out of her uniform.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

When the twins arrived at the kitchen Subaru was already waiting for his coworkers. While waiting for the girls, the black haired boy had prepped the needed cooking utensils and ingredients. When the sisters entered he gave them a grin and a normal for him greeting. Rem was the first to respond back. "Good morning Subaru; let's start on this morning's duties."

Making breakfast was always first on that list. Unlike the five course meals they always made, breakfast was always one light meal. Eggs and toast with some type of fruit spread was the typical morning meal.

"Alright, let's get started with our duties." The head maid evenly distributed the labor between them. Rem was more than happy to go to work. She never hesitated to head off immediately after learning her tasks for the day. Despite being alone she was usually able to get her work done faster than the team of Ram and Subaru. That faster her work was done the more time the younger girl got to spend time with her savior. Sometimes they just didn't have free time at night to socialize with each other. Knowing it was better to just get a full night's sleep and prepare for the next day.

"You know, in my homeland we have special appliances that do all of this for us." Subaru started. He leaned up against his mop using it unsafely as support while thinking warmly about his home. "We don't have to scrub the dishes or do laundry by hand. Just take a few minutes to place everything in a machine and sit back and relax."

They had just started the day and he was already complaining about work? Only three chores were finished and there was still a lot more to get done today. Ram made an exasperated noise. "Enough chatter Barusu, if you can speak this much than you can focus more on your work. Ram wants some free time to herself tonight."

"Yes, sister." The boy saluted her and turned back to his corner missing the way her lips curled upwards.


End file.
